CHAPTER 953: SCHEME OF THE THREE FORCES

The silence between them was heavy, filled with the weight of unspoken grudges, until finally, the Thunder Lord broke it. "What should we do with Max?" His voice was steady, but his eyes carried a sharp, calculating glint.

"What’s there to discuss?" the Tower Lord of the Void Soul Tower snapped, his jaw tight, voice laced with venom. "He killed so many of our geniuses. One of them—a Heaven Rank genius—was the pride of my tower. I must kill him." The words were ground out between clenched teeth, the hatred in his eyes so deep it seemed to burn from the inside.

Thunder Lord’s gaze hardened. "Kill him? It’s easier said than done. Now that his potential has been laid bare for the entire Middle Domain to see, Hermes will guard him like a treasure. Max won’t be allowed to stray far from his protection. Killing him now has become... extremely difficult."

He paused, his tone turning grave. "And don’t forget—he’s also a guest elder of the Hunter Association. With their backing, killing him outright is nearly impossible... unless you’re willing to face the wrath of the entire Hunter Association."

The Tower Lord’s mouth tightened. He already knew all of this, but the truth didn’t soothe the roaring fire inside him. The desire for revenge eclipsed reason, drowning him in a hatred so deep that logic and consequences felt meaningless. He was willing to stake everything—his position, his life, his entire force—if it meant seeing Max destroyed.

"I have a plan."

The words cut into the tension like a blade, drawing both men’s attention to the third figure—Dorion, the Valley Master of the Mountain Gods Valley. He had been silent until now, his arms folded loosely, his posture relaxed as though he were merely an observer.

The Tower Lord turned toward him almost instantly. "What plan, Dorion?" he demanded, hope and eagerness flashing through his expression.

A faint, almost predatory smile tugged at Dorion’s lips as he spoke. "I heard from some of the geniuses that Max was asking around for the location of an elf... more precisely, a Dark Elf, inside the secret domain."

"A dark elf?" Tower Lord Mathew of the Void Soul Tower narrowed his eyes, his tone dripping with suspicion. "There is indeed one dark elf who entered the secret domain... and not just any wanderer—it was part of a special cohort team from one of my own forces." His gaze sharpened, already piecing connections together in his mind.

"Do you know that dark elf, Mathew?" Dorion asked, his voice calm but with an underlying edge, as if he already suspected the answer.

Mathew gave a slow, deliberate nod. "If I am not mistaken, that dark elf belongs to one of the subordinate forces under my Void Soul Tower. That particular branch only recruits geniuses from other races—elves, beastkin, and other rare bloodlines. From what I recall, this dark elf joined our ranks... roughly half a year ago."

"Half a year ago?" Dorion repeated, his lips curling into a cold sneer. "That’s not too long at all..." His eyes slid toward both Mathew and the Thunder Lord, a dangerous gleam flashing within them. "How about we do this... We leak the location of the dark elf and then..."

For a moment, silence reigned, the weight of his suggestion settling like a dark cloud between them. Then, as the implications sank in, both the Thunder Lord and Mathew’s expressions twisted into something far crueler.

Slow, dark laughter spilled from their throats, low and menacing, like predators who had just caught the scent of fresh prey.

***

"Max, come to my office after this." Lyra’s voice rang clearly in Max’s mind the moment the void shuttle touched down in the Great Ruler Empire.

"Alright," Max replied calmly through spiritual transmission.

The shuttle descended smoothly, and soon everyone stepped out into the crisp air of the capital. Emperor Hermes stood at the forefront, his sharp gaze sweeping over the gathered geniuses. His eyes lingered for a moment, silently counting, and his expression barely shifted when he noted the missing numbers—several faces absent, never to return.

"A lot of your brothers and sisters have died in the secret domain," Hermes spoke, his voice even, devoid of unnecessary sympathy. "But you must not dwell on them. This world is ruled by the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest. They gambled their lives in the secret domain and lost. Whether you call it fate, destiny, or misfortune, the outcome is the same." His words carried the cold weight of truth, each syllable meant to harden rather than comfort.

He paused briefly before adding, "What matters now is that you are alive. And as long as you breathe, your path stretches far ahead of you."

His gaze swept across them once more, assessing, measuring, and then dismissing. "You are all dismissed."

The geniuses began to disperse, some chatting in hushed voices, others moving in silence with grim faces. Max turned to leave with the rest, but before he could take more than a few steps, Hermes’ voice reached his mind again. "You wait here for now."

Max exhaled quietly and stayed in place. One by one, the rest departed, until even the elders of the Great Ruler Empire withdrew, leaving only the Emperor and Max standing in the vast courtyard.

"I will assign your status directly to the rank of a Heaven Grade genius," Hermes said without hesitation, his tone carrying finality. "You’ve more than earned it for our empire."

"Thanks, Emperor," Max replied, giving a respectful nod.

Hermes studied him for a moment, then spoke again, his voice more deliberate. "So... what are your plans?" He leaned back slightly, hands clasped behind him. "I’ll be honest—if it were up to me, I’d prefer to keep you within the borders of the Great Ruler Empire for now. Thunder Monarch Hall and Void Soul Tower will be watching for a chance to strike. But I know I can’t restrain a genius like you. So at the very least... I want to hear what you intend to do next."